Tag: Xavier Johnson

Ranking the Top-10 Big Ten players heading into the basketball season

Ranking the top 10 players in the Big Ten entering the college basketball season.

The long-awaited 2023-24 college basketball season begins today, and the Big Ten’s slate of games features 10 of the conference’s teams in action. Iowa, Indiana, Maryland and Michigan will have to wait one more day.

The Big Ten does not lack star power as the conference boasts the reigning national player of the year in Purdue’s Zach Edey as well as a bunch of premier guards. As we all know, guard play dominates college basketball, especially in March.

Before the games tip off this evening, we take a look at the top 10 Big Ten players. Are any freshmen ranked? Does any supplant Edey as number one?

Honorable mentions (in no particular order): Bruce Thorton (Ohio State), Keisei Tominaga (Nebraska), Mackenzie Mgbako (Indiana), Jamison Battle (Ohio State), Tyler Wahl (Wisconsin), Coleman Hawkins (Illinois), Chucky Hepburn (Wisconsin).

The day after: Lasting thoughts on Ohio State football’s win over Purdue

What still sticks out in your head Buckeye fans? #GoBucks

It wasn’t the biggest win in [autotag]Ohio State footbal[/autotag]l history, but it’s win on the road against Purdue did carry some significance.

It somewhat exorcized some West Lafayette demons, kept the Buckeyes undefeated and was a great tune up ahead of their tilt at home against Penn State. Both major pregame shows will be in attendance, so you know it’s a big game.

We wait six days every week for Buckeye football to return on Saturday during the season, so there is always plenty of time to think about what transpired the previous game. Here are my day after thoughts following Ohio State football’s impressive road 41-7 win against Purdue.

Which Ohio State football players earned their Buckeye leaves against Purdue

Which Buckeyes impressed you in their win over Purdue? #GoBucks

[autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] got some semblance of revenge against [autotag]Purdue[/autotag], as they went into Ross-Ade Stadium and throughly defeated the Boilermakers, 41-7.

The Buckeyes were on the game from the start, jumping out to a 20-0 halftime lead before taking the gas off the pedal midway through the third quarter. The starters did their job and paved the way for the backups to get valuable game experience.

It was a good game for Ohio State in multiple phases and like OSU does every week, more Buckeye leaves will be added to their helmets before they face Penn State next week. Find out which players earned their new decals according to our opinions below.

Ohio State statistical leaders through three games

These guys in particular could be a problem Saturday.

I admit that I probably should leave something like this to the folks overs at Buckeyes Wire. Then again, that’s the whole idea behind the College Wire sites. Every site has something unique to offer, and Fighting Irish Wire is no exception. We encourage you to check out all sites to get your college sports fix, particularly at this time of year when college football is reigning supreme throughout the land.

Now that the shameless plugging is out of the way, let’s talk about why you really clicked on this link. You want to see which Ohio State players are most likely to give Notre Dame problems in one of the most anticipated college football games of the year. These are the players who are most likely to stop a resurgent start to the season for the Irish in its tracks. You probably will see a few of them in the NFL soon.

If you aren’t familiar with these Buckeyes yet, get yourself familiar with them right now:

Ohio State football’s Marvin Harrison Jr. builds the perfect Buckeye wide receiver

Harrison Jr. might be a bit biased, but this would be one heck of a receiver #GoBucks

[autotag]Marvin Harrison Jr.[/autotag] will go down as one of the most talented wide receivers to play for the [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] program.

The junior has been around the game his whole life thanks to his father being a Hall of Fame receiver, so he has seen plenty of talented players. What we don’t know are which of his former or current teammates would make the perfect wide receiver.

Thankfully CBS Sports asked Harrison Jr. to do just that. The Buckeye had to pick players from six different categories; speed, athleticism, ball skills, versatility, after catch and route running. Find out below who the potential No. 1 draft pick selected to make his perfect receiver.

Watch: Ohio State football explains why Xavier Johnson was selected to wear ‘Block 0’ jersey

A heartfelt moment for Johnson and his former teammate #GoBucks

There is a new tradition that [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] has embraced since 2020, the “Block 0” jersey, honoring former Buckeye great [autotag]Bill Willis[/autotag].

Willis broke the color barrier for professional football with the Cleveland Browns, and wore No. 99 in Columbus, but when the NCAA allowed players to wear the number 0 in 2020, Ohio State found a way to honor Willis.

Only four former players have worn the “Block 0,” defensive lineman [autotag]Jonathan Cooper[/autotag], offensive tackle [autotag]Thayer Mumford[/autotag] and last year, wide receiver Kamryn Babb. Another receiver, [autotag]Xavier Johnson[/autotag] was selected to wear the jersey this fall, but Ohio State’s social media account went a bit further to provide more background on the decision.

They released a short video about this history of the “Block 0” jersey, why Johnson was selected, and a special message from Babb. Watch the video below as the former walk-on will forever be entrenched in Buckeye history.

Ohio State has a bushel of really cool traditions, and this one fits right along with others that are revered.

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Ohio State football names three captains for the 2023 season

Congrats to these three! #GoBucks

There has been news coming out of the Ohio State football program on Saturday afternoon. Not only did the Buckeyes reveal the “Block 0” recipient for 2023, but OSU also announced its three captains for the fall campaign.

Ohio State has historically named more than three captains, so the identification of just three is significant. Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, tight end Cade Stover and receiver Xavier Johnson were named team captains after a team vote. Head coach Ryan Day made the announcement after fall practice on Saturday.

For Stover and Eichenberg, it’s the second time they’ve been named captains, and for Johnson, it follows the big news of him being the “Block 0” recipient for the fall.

Both Eichenberg and Stover are expected to be huge pieces of the football puzzle on the banks of the Olentangy in 2023. Eichenberg really blossomed in the Jim Knowles scheme last year and is on several defensive watch lists heading into the fall. He will be counted on as one of the main leaders and producers on defense.

Stover had one of the best receiving seasons ever by an Ohio State tight end last year and looks to take an even further step in 2023. He figures to be one of the best at his position in all of college football this fall and has a exceptional chance of being taken off the board early in the 2023 NFL draft.

Johnson has now risen from preferred walk-on in 2018 to a team captain — quite an amazing story. A bit of a Swiss army knife during his career, Johnson has been a part of every unit on the OSU team but seems to carved out a nice niche in the receiver rotation heading into this fall.

Congrats to all three of these players, and we can’t wait to see how and where they lead the team starting in just a couple of weeks.

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Ohio State reveals “Block 0” jersey recipient for 2023

Congrats to Xavier Johnson! #GoBucks

Ohio State receiver Xavier Johnson is this year’s “Block 0” recipient according to a release from the department of athletics. The announcement was made by head coach Ryan after the 14th fall practice on Saturday.

Johnson’s story is an amazing one. He originally came to Ohio State as a preferred walk-on in 2018, but has worked his way into the lineup by contributing any way he could. He is now one of the leaders expected to have a significant role this fall. He already carved out a spot on offense at the wide receiver and running back position on one of the most explosive offenses in the country last season.

Last year, Johnson had 13 receptions for 151 yards and two touchdowns, but he also made some big plays on the ground. He rushed the ball 12 times for 146 yards and one touchdown. Everyone remembers his highlight worthy touchdown catch against Georgia in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl just before halftime that kept things rolling for the Buckeyes.

“My goal is to continue to inspire hope in this team,” said Johnson after the announcement. “I’ll lead, inspire and help us reach the highest of heights.”

Ohio State’s tradition of awarding the Block “0” started when the NCAA first allowed the No. 0 to be worn on the field in 2020. It is inspired by the venerable Bill Willis, who played defensive end for Ohio State from 1942-1944. Willis was an All-American and national champion during his time with the Buckeyes. More famously, Willis helped break the color barrier in the National Football League as a member of the Cleveland Browns and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well as the College Football Hall of Fame.

Congratulations are definitely in order for Johnson as a well-deserved honor.

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On3 ranks Ohio State as the top wide receiver unit in college football

I mean, it’s really no surprise here, right? #GoBucks

On3’s Jesse Simonton started releasing his position group rankings for next season last week.

Given the strength of the Buckeyes’ wide receiver room, it comes as no surprise that they come in at number one on this list. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba out with a hamstring injury for most of last season, Ohio State returns their top six leaders in receiving yards.

The headliner of the unit is Marvin Harrison Jr. who is the consensus top wide receiver in all of college football. Harrison Jr.’s talent was apparent in his true freshman season and last season he broke out leading the team in catches (77), receiving yards (1,263), and receiving touchdowns (14).

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The expectations for Harrison Jr. this season are sky-high as he will be an integral part of the Buckeyes offense and could even be a dark horse Heisman contender.

One of college football’s best receivers last season also returns with big expectations for this season. Emeka Egbuka is perhaps a bit under shadowed because he plays alongside Harrison Jr., but he was an integral part of the offense last season and will be this season as well.

Harrison Jr. and Egbuka are the clear top two target leaders in the offense and that third receiver option is also likely locked down as well.

Julian Fleming was third on the team in receiving yards with 533 yards in last season. The former five-star from the 2020 class would likely be the top receiver on many teams across college football.

Jayden Ballard is another good option as he could provide more of a deep-threat element to the offense.  Ballard showed out with a good performance at the Spring Game including a one-handed catch.

Returning for his sixth season with the Buckeyes will be Xavier Johnson. He has shown consistently that he can step up when he’s called upon as he caught two big touchdowns last season including a third-down strike over the middle against Notre Dame to give Ohio State the lead late in the third quarter.

The Buckeyes also bring in a very talented group of freshmen receivers.  Carnell Tate, Noah Rogers, and Brandon Inniss all were top ten ranked wide receivers in the 2023 class.

While they may not make a major impact this season, they will be important factors in the offense very soon.

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Two Ohio State players injured and out for rest of spring practice

Out for spring, but should be back for preseason camp. #GoBucks

We hate to see it, but injuries are part of the game. With only a week until the annual spring game, Ohio State will be without starting linebacker Steele Chambers and jack-of-all-trades, Xavier Johnson, the rest of the way.

Chambers was seen using crutches and Johnson was in a walking boot toward the end of the week. Ryan Day confirmed the news but with a silver lining. Day believes both players will be ready to go heading into the season.

Speaking on the injury to Chambers, Day had this to say.

“He’ll be back. He’ll have a procedure done and should have a pretty good summer.” – Ryan Day on Steele Chambers injury

With both starting linebackers out for the spring now, several backups will get a chance to shine and show their worth. … Most notably five-star recruit C.J. Hicks. However, it also opens the door for guys such as Gabe Powers and Reid Carrico.

As for Johnson, it sounds like his injury is a little more severe, but nothing to worry about.

“Xavier is probably a little bit longer, but still, we’ll have him for the summer. It’s not going to be something that’s going to affect him in the preseason.” – Ryan Day speaking on Xavier Johnson’s injury

It’s good to hear that neither injury looks to be long term. Both Chambers and Johnson played pivotal roles in the Buckeye’s run to the College Football Playoff last season. Chambers had the second most tackles on the team with 77 and Johnson had explosive plays in key moments while contributing three touchdowns.

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